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Baez, Hendricks earn Cubs' Minor League awards

Baez, Hendricks earn Cubs' Minor League awards

PITTSBURGH -- Shortstop Javier Baez and right-hander Kyle Hendricks were named the Cubs organization's Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, for 2013.

The two will be honored during an on-field ceremony prior to the Cubs' 3:05 p.m. CT game Sept. 21 against the Braves at Wrigley Field.

Rated as the Cubs' No.1 prospect, the 20-year-old Baez combined to bat .282 with 34 doubles, four triples, 37 home runs and 111 RBIs in 130 games between Class A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee in his second full professional season. His 111 RBIs and 75 extra-base hits led Minor League baseball, and he ranked second in home runs.

The shortstop is the first Minor League player in 17 seasons to reach 30 doubles, 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in the same season since D.T. Cromer did so in 1996 for the Class A Modesto A's.

Baez began the year with Daytona and hit .274 with 19 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 57 RBIs in 76 games. He became the second player in the 94-year history of the Florida State League to hit four home runs in a game when he did so June 10 against Fort Myers. Former Cubs farmhand Ryan Harvey also did so July 28, 2006, against Clearwater.

Promoted to Tennessee on July 6, Baez batted .294 with 15 doubles, 20 home runs and 54 RBIs in 54 games. Even though he played in less than half of the Southern League's schedule, he ranked fourth in the league in home runs.

The Cubs' first-round pick in 2011, Baez has recorded a .934 fielding percentage in 203 games at shortstop.

Hendricks, 23, combined to go 13-4 with a 2.00 ERA and a complete-game shutout in 27 starts between Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa. He struck out 128 batters and walked 34 over 166 1/3 innings pitched. The right-hander limited opponents to a .229 batting average.

In 21 starts at Tennessee, Hendricks was 10-3 with a 1.85 ERA and earned Southern League midseason All-Star honors. He gave up four earned runs over 43 innings in his final seven starts with the Smokies. Hendricks went 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in six starts for Iowa, and he held opponents to a .235 batting average.

The right-hander was acquired from the Rangers, along with infielder Christian Villanueva, for pitcher Ryan Dempster in July 2012.